Zimbabwe, who pulled out of Test cricket in 2006, could face another two years in the wilderness, an International Cricket Council (ICC) report claimed.
The ICC board, meeting over two days here, were presented with the findings of a task force headed by Julian Hunte, the president of the West Indies Cricket Board, who, along with ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, visited the troubled African country in November.
"The board was told that none of the stakeholders spoken to during the visit were of the view that Zimbabwe was ready to return to Test cricket, with time frames proposed ranging from six months to two years or more," said an ICC statement.
"The Board was informed that both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) had offered playing and administrative support to Zimbabwe Cricket."
Zimbabwe's last Test match was in 2005, but they have continued to play one-day internationals. They recently lost a three-match series in Bangladesh, but on Saturday wrapped up a third successive win over Kenya.
